Tony Stewart Takes Top Fuel Points Lead with Victory at Route 66 Nationals

Tony Stewart’s red-hot streak in NHRA Top Fuel competition continued in Chicago as the motorsports legend captured his second national event win of the 2025 season at the Route 66 Nationals. Behind the wheel of his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Rinnai Dodge//SRT dragster, Stewart not only clinched the win over Justin Ashley in the final round but also surged to the top of the NHRA Mission Top Fuel points standings.

Stewart, a champion in NASCAR, IndyCar, and USAC, proved once again that he belongs in the NHRA elite by laying down a 3.777-second pass at 329.10 mph to take the final over Ashley’s 3.818. The victory—his fourth final-round appearance in a row—earned him a narrow three-point lead over Shawn Langdon heading into the New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire.

“I said at Vegas that I was impressed with the progress our team was making, and we backed it up here in Chicago,” Stewart said. “We’ve seen a mix of warm and cool conditions this weekend, and now we have valuable data for later in the year. Justin [Ashley] is one of the best leavers in the business, so to match him and get the win, that means a lot. This Rinnai Dodge//SRT team earned it.”

Stewart’s march to the final was impressive, defeating Terry Totten, Shawn Reed, and four-time Top Fuel champ Steve Torrence on his way. His 3.679 career-best qualifying run on Saturday had already set the tone for a dominant weekend.

Meanwhile, in Funny Car action, Stewart’s TSR teammate and four-time World Champion Matt Hagan had another strong outing in his 11,000-horsepower TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection Charger HELLCAT. Hagan got the weekend started with a big statement on Saturday by winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a 3.880-second run over Ron Capps, adding to his momentum heading into eliminations.

On Sunday, he eliminated Blake Alexander in the first round with a 3.916 and beat Capps again in the quarterfinals with a 3.919 before narrowly losing in the semis to Austin Prock in one of the day’s closest races. Despite getting the jump at the tree, Hagan’s 3.942 couldn’t quite hold off Prock’s 3.931.

“We made six out of seven clean runs this weekend,” said Hagan. “This Dodge Direct Connection Funny Car is consistent right now, and that’s exactly what we need to chase wins. We had a clutch line issue on one run, but overall, the car is strong in any condition. I was really rooting for Tony to get the win today. It’s awesome to see the whole team firing on all cylinders.”

With both TSR drivers showing strong form, the team now looks ahead to Epping, where qualifying starts May 30. Eliminations will be held on Sunday, June 1, with FOX broadcasting final-round coverage at 6:00 p.m. EDT.